Tunnel construction.



D. D. McBEAN.

v TUNNEL CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION Flu-:n Nov. 5. 1914. 1,168,096.

Patented Dec. 7, 1915.

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D. D. McBEAN.

IUNNEL coNsmucnoN. APPLICATION HLD NOV. 5. 1914.

Patented Dee. 7, 1915.

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TUNNEL CONSTRUCTION.

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D. D. MCBEAN.

TUNNEL CONSTRUCTION.

APPucATloN 111.1:0 Nov. s, 1914.

Patented Deo. 7, 1915.

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DUNCAN D. MCBEAN, OF NEIN' YORK, N. Y.

TUNNEL ConsTaUoTIoN.

Original application filed May 27, 1914, Serial No. 841,228.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Divided and this application filed November 5,

1914;. Serial No. 870,377'.

To all Awhom t may concern:

Be it known that I, DUNCAN D. MCBEAN, a citizen of the AUnited States, residing at New York, in the county and State of New ,York, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Tunnel Construction, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. n'

This application is a division of an application filed by me on May 27, 1914, Serial No. saines. n

The invention subject of the application is an improvement in apparatus for unwatering and excavating material below water level in the installation and construction of structures, such as tunnels and sewers, that are built above or on thewater level, or the surface of the material to be excavated, and for lowering the same into place step by step as the material beneath them is removed.k i

The improvements are also lapplicable to the excavation below water level of material forvthe erection of such structures as dry docks, and for the. deepening of river and channel bottoms, but in the present application the invention disclosed and claimed is concerned only with and will be described as applied to the construction and installation of tunnels and sewers.

`The invention described and claimed herein involves novel means whereby in excavating through water bearing material, either on shore or in river or channel bottoms, the hydrostatic pressure on the outside of the sheeting which I place upon th'ebanks on the sides of the excavation, is neutralized or` equalizedby the provision of the same hydrostatic pressure against the inside of the sheeting above the bottom level of the structure that is being lowered, and whereby there will be provided on the inside of the sheeting which is below the level of the bottompof the structure, a body of air under suiiicient pressure to equal hydrostatic pressure that exists against the outside of that part 0f the sheeting, thereby preventing the water, quicksand and other flowing materials from entering the excavated space from under the sheeting, and thereby reducing the pressure on the outside of the sheeting to that due to the difference between the weight of earth s and that of the water.

My invention further resides in novel appliances whereby structures, such `as lengths of tunnel or sewer built at the surface of the water, .may be yexpeditiously and economically lowered into place through `water bearing material on shore or in river bot-r tom, and lessen they friction between it and the banks, while it is being lowered, although the structure is used as a support for the banks.

rat-enten nee. 7,1915,

Finally, my invention involves such means as shall provide for the iloating of the structure after it has been sunk to the required depth, whereby it is free to be moved into the eXact grade and alinement required.

In the accompanying drawings, I havev illustrated ymy improved construction, and by reference to the same I shall describe the methods or processes which I follow in using the same for its intended purpose.

Figure 1 is a vertical transverse crosssection of a double tube tunnel construction and the appliances used in connection there-` with, in the process of lowering it to the desired level.` Fig. 2 is a similar section, showing the conditions and relations of the tunnel "and its appurtenancesy after a certain amount of excavation has been accomplished. Fig. 3 1s a horizontal sectional plan showing the arrangement of sheeting surrounding the` structure and the intermediate devices employed therewith. Fig. 4f is an enlarged sectional detail of the section of Fig. 1. Fig. 5

is a detail view of the sheeting showing the means of joining sections of the same. Fig.

6 is a cross-section showing acompleted section before all of the sheeting and supports are removed.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts yin all the figures. f

Thetunnel structure may consist of one or more tubes and may be built at any con-v venient point in the desired lengths, which may be two hundred feet or more, and Heated or carried to the point where it is to be sunk in place. It is composed of iron or steel uprights l and transverse roof and floor beams 2, 3, all secured together to form a skeleton frame. To the outside ofeach of the steel uprights` 1 on the exterior of the structure, there is bolted a vertical plank to which horizontal tongued and grooved'water tight planks 4 are pinned with maple pins, thus forming a water proofing which incloses the sides of the skeleton frame. The spaces between the steel uprights and the transverse roof beams, are ri'illed solid with concrete 5.

The' wa"ter-proofingr planking is placed on the top of the roof beams and intermediate concrete and joined to 'the water proofing on the sides, and an outer covering of-con-l crete 6 is laid over the water proof planking on the top, to protect it from the attack of marine insects in case it should be exposed directly to the water; V Extending completely through the struc- 1@ ture is anvair lock shaft 8, and extending only into-'the structure is a second air-lock shafty 9, for the purposes which willhereinafter appear. Through stufling lboxes in the temporary floor 4, there extend' cylindrical l steel piles 10, andthe pipes of a sand or mud pump 11a. Otherwise, each section of tunnel is inclosed on allsides, they ends being closed by temporary bulk-heads 12, in

order to make the structure water-tight.

of tunnel thus constructedfis as follows: I-

beamsor columns 13 ofa-length sufficient.'

to extend-from the top to near thebottom' of the structure, are secured vertically at inter- 14 are held in placel by bolts 16, passingv throughthe'- outer flanges ofthe inner and. the inner flanges of the outerfbeams.v Ay pair( of vertical beams on one-side of thek structure are placed opposite a pair on the other-side, and the tops and bottoms ofthe outer beams areunited by bracesv 17, extending across between them' above thetop and beneath the bottom of the structure lThe lower 'sides ofv beams-l14 are lsecured by flanges 22 and bolts- 23 tov a heavy planking 24, as shown in detail in Fig. 4, and the space between this planking andthe base of timber 25, to which'th'elower ends of beams 13 are similarly secured, as shown.l in the samel figure, is' closed with I-beams 26;

Consecutive tiers, one above the other and E/a few feet apart, ofhorizontal walingsy or ranges 18, are placed continuously along the sides and across theI ends ofthe structure,

and a; few inches outside of the vertical" beams; 14, to which they are temporarily atwvtached, as by bolts or-otlierwis'e. Thelower tier of walings 1S, is4 placed so as toy be on a level with the heavy plank-'ing 24, A n Betweenthe tiers of'walings'lS, there are placed afi-intervals vertiic'allr braces 19, the 5'- tie-rods" 20', and ixedrollers 21 are securedA The method-y of installing a single section vals-'along the sides and ends of the same` and-secured in position to the planking of *Y to the inner upright faces of the walings oppcsite` to and contiguous with the outer flanges of the vertical beams 14, and the few inches of space between the bottom of the lower tier of horizontal walings and the bottom yof the horizontal planking 24, to which the beams 14 are secured, are closed by planks 26ar placed under them and overlapping them both. Y

Vertical planks of sheeting 27, the length of which is substantially equal to the depth of excavation required, are placed close together on the outside ofthe tiers of horizontal walings 18, to which they are temporarily attached. In order to secure a good andl water tight joint between the sections of this sheeting, I have adopted the form of joint shown in F ig. 5, in which 43 is an iron or steel plate set in the edge of one section of sheeting and 44 aresimilar plates extending over a recess and secured to the edge of the opposite section to form a socket in which a projection on the plate l43 may enter and slide when the two sections are associated. To support the sheeting and guide it while being driven, there are placed on *the outer side tiers of horizontal walings 28,

which are temporarily heldin place by bolts passing through them, through the sheeting the sheeting 27 may be postponed until after the structureis floated, the space therefor between the outer and innertier's of walings being maintained by blocking inserted at intervals between the two.

Theistructure kand itsv appurtenances as thus assembled fis launched or floated, generally by sinking the float on which the parts described are assembled, and towed to ay point yimmediately over its intended site. A few piles 32 are then driven down throughy stuffing boxes, provided for them,v in the planking 24, for several feet into the material-to be excavated, and collars 33, as

shown' at the'left in Fig. 1, are secured to themby divers at the elevation to which it is intended to at first lower the structure.

The 4buoyancy of the structure is overcome either by introducing int-oit vloosely on its temporary flooring 4 a portion of the material thatv will be subsequently utilized to fill-in the spaces between the floor beams, or by permittingV sufficient water to enter the same, or by adding weight, in control of derricks, onto the structure sufficient to sink it. -llocking 30 is placed at intervals in the material to be excavated' upon which the bottom plank '26 rests, and the structure is in this way supported on the bottom.V After the structurels alined as nearly possible,

lthe piles 10are ydrivenfor al few feet into the material under the same, andclollars 29 are then adjusted by divers on such piles in contact with the flooring 4 ,fso that the` entirestruct-urc will be lsupported at vproper and the inner walings 18. The yinsertion of 95 levels in its coi-rect position. When the tunf nel section has been thus adjusted and aliiied, they sheeting 27 is detachedfrom its temporary union with y the walings and driven entirely around the structure for a few feet yinto the material to beexcavated. Simultaneously, air is pumped under the floor of the structure, which, as will be seen from the above description, forms a substantially air-tight compartment, and sullicient water is permitted to enter the structure itself to give itsu'flicient weight to withstand the pressure of air which it is necessary to have under the flooring. VVoi-lrmen then descend from the surface, through the air lock shaft 8, which passes through stufling boxes in the top and bottom of the structure, and

excavate the material under the vflooring. This is accomplished either by introducing uf'ater, as through a pipe 8l, and pumping out the ysand and mud therewith `by the pump within the tunnel section, or by hoisting out the material in buckets through the air lock shaft 8. The material is thus eX- cavated for a kdepth of sever-l'feetwhen`r walings 18, as shown in F ig. 2, carried down into or previously stored in the compartment underthe tloor, are placed against the sheeting 27. They may be temper: i'ily held in position by braces between them and thev pilesy and on their inner liaces are iiied and the vertical beams ll, until it rests upon" the blocking or planlring and collars pre-y pared for its reception, and a water tighty compartment again formed by the stoppage of the spacebetween the walings yand the laiikino'. rlhe water in this compartment under the -floor is then forced up into the tunnel b 'f decreasing the air pressure in the .latter and increasing that under the floor. y

These operations of excavating and lowering the structure are repeated until the eX- cavated recessfis of the required depth at which the structure is to permanently rest. lf at such a time it is found not to be in true alinement.y the piles l0 and 32 are withdrawn or cut, or burned off rand the I-beams 13 and wedges removed, whereupon the structure will be virtually afloat in the space between the vertical beams lll and thefcross beams 17. By the adjustment of the wedges l5, or otherwise, the structure is then forced into exact alinement with a section previouslyy in place. TWhen this has been done,

For this purpose the airv air is pumped into the structure until the hydrostatic pressure is equal tothe hydrostatic pressure at the level of the temporary floor 4. This floor is then removed and the pressure increased within the structure until it equals the hydrostatic pressurey at the level of its foundation, which is thenprepared, a new water-tight flooring `85, ,laid

on the cross-beams 17, and the spaces above the 'floor and between the horizontal beams lilled in with concrete and kthe structure completed.v .The horizontal planlring 24 isA then detached by divers from the beams lll,

the sheeting 27 drawn and all of the appliances utilized in the construction and installation of the tunnel removed or allowed to oat up. After each section of tunnel is completed, the air lock shafts S and" 9 are removed.

' rlhe aboveis the complete method of installing a single section of tunnel and no yother stepsr are necessary when the entire structure consists of but a single section. In case, however, that thefinished structure is made up of two or more suchy sections.' special provision must be 4made for connecting them together into an integralwhole. l:

have shown and described the means for doing this in my application Serial Nbel-1,228, filed May 27 1914. i

`When a tunnel or sewer yis'to bejconstructed on shore, and where the material to be excavated is water bearing, the procedure above described will be modified somewhat to meet the change of conditions involved.- lnsuch cases the structure and its appurtenances above set forth', are assembled above the surface ofthe water in the ground to bey excavated, and the space below the water level rbetween the driven sheeting 27 and the structure, aswell as that over the latter, as

it is lowered into the ground, fis kept filled with water up to the level of the water in the ground outside yof the sheetin'g,vlout as this supply of water must not be permitted to flow in under the sheeting it may'have to be brought from an outside source. When the depth ofthe excavation belov.r the level of n the outside water is greater than the height of the structure, through bracing between the walings on the opposite sides must be introduced over the structure, vbut kotherwise the procedure is the same `as that for subaqueous tunnels described above.

The invention herein set forth yconstitutes .a radical departure from the `established :lasl

material to be removed is reduced to aminillB many'-eet belotvithe surfaceiof' the Water,

vincrea'ses/their'eiliciency many Yfold, becausev of the hydrostatic pressuredue to the depth operating to force material into the pumps, whereby there will be a much larger per* ycentagelof materialv carried along With the Water through the pump than if the latter had only'the Vacuumwhich` it creates itself. In casesy Where rock is encountered, it may be unwatered and blasted and then excavated f at a much lower cost than by the ordinary 'i streets between buildings7 the foundations of i 'Copiesof'this patent may bervobtalinedif methods'.A

In the building of tunnels or sewers in which rest on sandor Water bearing material, the tunnelstructure may becarried to a level Well belowv that of the foundations Without disturbing either the sand. or the `vater in the material outside of the sheeting which' retains the .banks of the excavation.

:lt makes cut and cover Work an absolutely safeandv sure method of making van excavasheeting and the tunnel section'for guiding the tunnel section aiidfioating it? at any levelin the body o1"- Water vcontained Within theV tion toany. depth under one hundred feet.

v`W hat I claim is: i l. yAs an improvement `in subaqueous tunnel construction, the combination with aA tunnel orfscction thereof, of Vertical` beams attached -theret'o5sheeting surrounding the Vsame and supportiiigjthe'banks ofi the eX-V f cavation, and guide rolls between the' supporting Walings of such sheeting and uthe Vertical beams. 'f

1 Witnesses or vecents each; byedressing'the f Washington, IMC.`

3. Asan improvementy in suba'queo'us tunnel construction, the combination with a section of' said tunnel; of sheetingsurrounding i the, sectiony and supporting the banks' oi" the eXcaVatioin-'means forv adjusting 'the position of thesectionwithin the sheeting andl permittingit to' beflowered therein', and a Water tightV partition placed between-the sheeting andthe structure at the bottom oi" vthe section.V i i.

t. As an improvement in subaqueousy tunnel construction, the combination with a section-of said tunnel of sheeting surrounding' the section and supporting the banlis of the excavationv 1n Which itj is contained, and means'within'the Walisof Water betW een the Y sheeting, as set forthl y A ln testimony Whereo I'- afhxmy signature inz the'presen'ee oit-two subscribing Witnesses.'

n WM. BoHnLBEn,v`

LAWSON- Drain'.

` Commissioner of Patentsk DUNcAN' n.' Massari@ y 

